Yoga for Plus-Sized Women

When you think of yoga, do you imagine model thin women who are freakishly flexible? This is unfortunate because yoga can offer benefits regardless of your body type or flexibility level. In fact, plus-size women who want to improve both their physical and emotional well-being can derive great benefits from a daily yoga practice.

Yoga can:

• Improve your flexibility
  
  

• Improve your balance
  
  

• Increase muscle tone
  
  

• Improve strength
  
  

• Reduce joint pain
  
  

• Reduce stress
  
  

• Make you feel better about your body
  
  

Yoga isn’t generally recommended as a weight loss tool, although it’s not uncommon for plus-size women to lose a few pounds once they start a regular yoga practice. Yoga helps you become more aware of your body and its needs, which may inspire you to start making healthier food choices and reduce the use of “comfort foods” as a mechanism for coping with stress.

If you’re thinking about starting a yoga practice and you don’t currently have any sort of exercise routine, it’s smart to discuss your plans with your doctor. Certain medical conditions can affect your ability to exercise and you don’t want to risk doing anything that might cause pain or injury. However, there have been studies showing the benefits of yoga in helping people who suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or fibromyalgia.

Even though you might feel embarrassed about going to a yoga class, there are lots of benefits to having an in-person instructor when you are just starting out. Your instructor can offer support and encouragement while suggesting safe ways to modify poses for your ability level. For example, yoga twists can be difficult if you have a bit of a belly. You might need to widen your feet a bit or twist from the belly up instead of cranking your lower back.

There are several different styles of yoga, but plus-size women who are doing yoga for the first time often look for chair yoga or floor yoga classes. If you live in a larger city, you might be able to find a gym that offers classes especially for plus-size women, as making yoga more accessible is a big trend in the fitness industry. Avoid classes in Bikram yoga, where poses are done in heated rooms, or power yoga, which encourages participants to go through poses quickly for a vigorous workout.

Many yoga instructors will offer private lessons upon request. If you’re on a tight budget, see if you can convince a friend to come with you and split the cost.